Wolves: Give Foye A Proper Chance
By Stephen Litel
August 13th, 2008
1 Comment
Sparked by a recent article by a friend over at Hoopsworld, I did a bit of research on Wolves guard Randy Foye. At times throughout the past season, I felt as if Foye was the brunt of too much criticism. He was, after all, coming back from an injury that kept him out for over half the season and after a promising rookie season had many thinking of Foye as a “golden boy.”
Throughout the season, I set out to find ways to calm people down regarding Foye. One idea was to keep track of how many times Foye made the correct pass and the shot missed by a teammate, robbing him of an assist. However, Britt Robson knocked that idea out of my head quickly, stating something to the effect that documenting fake stats such as this would over-value Foye. The pendulum would swing to far the other way. Of course, Robson was correct.
Therefore, I’ll present the stats for last season as is, without sugarcoating of any kind. Take from them what you will, find faults where you may and continue the Foye conversation. Will Foye ever be on the same level as Brandon Roy, linked together forever due to their draft night trade? Probably not. That doesn’t mean he won’t make a fine point guard before his career is over.
Here’s a breakdown of Foye’s season month-by-month after returning from his injury.
January 2008 - 2 games - Averaged 19.5 minutes
9 points, 1 assist, 1.5 rebounds and 2 turnovers per game while shooting 38% from the field and 33% from behind the line.
February 2008 - 12 games - Averaged 28.9 minutes
10 points, 2.58 assists, 3 rebounds and 2.25 turnovers per game while shooting 38% from the field and 41% from behind the line.
March 2008 - 15 games - Averaged 34.1 minutes
12.5 points, 5.26 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.26 turnovers per game while shooting 44% from the field and 40% from behind the line.
April 2008 - 10 games - Averaged 36.1 minutes
18.4 points, 5.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 turnovers per game while shooting 45% from the field and 38% from behind the line.
Certainly, there are areas Foye needs to continue to improve, most notably in shooting percentage and number of assists per game. However, the stats indicate a player with unrealized promise continuing to improve, all while returning from injury.
The 2008-09 season needs to be when the verdict comes down on Randy Foye. His injury was unfortunate, but unless something happens before the season tips off, Foye should be completely healthy and ready to start from Day One. The Timberwolves brought in more weapons in Mike Miller and Kevin Love during the offseason to go along with Al Jefferson, so even though the team may still not have much of a chance at a playoff berth, Foye now has the opportunity to take the proverbial next step in his development.
What intrigues me personally is that Foye himself upped the pressure and scrutiny on himself in a one-on-one interview with me close to the end of the 2007-08 season. By stating the biggest difference between some of the best point guards in the league and himself is health, he now has no excuses.
